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From Japan to Harmony
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There's a sense of authenticity about the polite, quietly spoken Japanese woman. Her $1.2 million business venture on 17 hectares in the hills above Margate has been started in partnership with experienced tourism industry marketer Alfred Merse. Between them, Mr Merse and Ms Nakamura have seen the retreat's impeccable hexagons come together. All buildings at the retreat are six-sided, and all measurements are multiples of three. There's a space of six metres between buildings that are six metres in diameter and their outer perimeter covers 36 metres. A larger yoga pavilion in the middle of the retreat has a 12-metre diameter. The buildings have been designed under feng shui principles, some of which Ms Nakamura adapted for her southern hemisphere surroundings. The northern side faces the downslope and is open to the sun's energy and the south, at the back of the retreat, is closed. "This shape collects cosmos energy and connects with the Earth's energy field to create a strong purifying and healing energy field," Ms Nakamura says. The two two-storey cottages are a triumph of minimalism. No TVs, neat but uncluttered courtyards, a couch here, CD player there. The high side of the property has several treatment chalets - one, the wet cottage, has an infrared sauna. Another has a massage room and a third contains a sarcophagus-like device Ms Nakamura designed that combines steam, water and infrared light treatments. Ms Nakamura says that her retreat is in keeping with the original notion of a spa, closer to a hospital than a beauty salon. "Nothing here is for fashion," she says. The retreat uses alternative therapies such as kinesiology, iridology, Ayurvedic medicine, chi energy healing and lymphatic drainage. Nutrition is a big part of Ms Nakamura's healing philosophy. On-site guests seeking a detox can expect carefully regulated cuisine. We leave the bamboo walls of the retreat to visit a shed used for solar heating and rainwater collection. It's a patchy winter's day but Ms Nakamura points to a thermostat showing the solar panels are heating roof water to 58.9 degrees.
IF YOU GO |
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AMI Nakamura is walking a visitor through her tranquil retreat near Margate. 
